This study investigates the acquisition of English consonant clusters (blends) by preschool children, focusing on the segmentation problem, i.e. the extent to which the children treat the clusters as single units in phonology or as combinations of the constitutent single consonants. The major research technique is a type of word game derived from procedures of Charles Read's research (1971, 1975). After preliminary sessions of assessment and preparation, the children are given a game in which they choose between a single symbol and a combination of symbols for initial 'tr' and 'sw'. The results are expected to give evidence on phonological structure, the development of language awareness, and the early stages of learning to read.